Baking, running, and loving life's adventures

Samoa Stuffed Sugar Cookies

I have made stuffed (filled) cookies before (here, here, and here) and I think the idea is a lot of fun. The finished product is pretty tasty too!! So I was excited to once again create a stuffed cookie. I sometimes get flavor combinations that get stuck in my brain, just waiting for the right recipe to come along. Caramel, coconut, and chocolate have been whispering in my brain recently. You might recognize these as the flavors that make up Samoa’s. They are one of my favorite Girl Scout cookies, but I only limit myself to one box a year.

Anyways, I decided to use those flavors as the “stuffing” for my cookies, surrounded by a simple sugar cookie. The finished cookie may not look like much, but it is full of flavor. I think you will like them as much as I do!

In a large mixing bowl, mix together the melted butter and sugars. Stir in the egg and the vanilla bean paste. Add in the salt, baking soda, and flour, and stir until well combined. Refrigerate the dough for 30 minutes.

In the meantime, make the filling mixture. In a microwave-safe bowl, combine the caramel bits and heavy cream. Microwave on high for 30 second intervals, stirring after each one, until the caramels are melted. Add in the toasted coconut and stir to combine. Let this mixture cool for 10 minutes before adding in the mini chocolate chips.

Once the dough has chilled and the filling mixture is ready, preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line a cookie sheet with parchment paper and set aside. Using a medium-sized ice cream scoop, scoop out dough and flatten slightly (I do this in the palm of my hand). Add 1 heaping teaspoon of filling mixture into the center of the dough, then form the dough to cover the filling. Make sure there are no holes or the filling will run out while it is baking. Place this seam side down onto the cookie sheet, leaving 3 inches between each cookie.

Bake in a preheated oven for 10-12 minutes or until the cookies are set and lightly golden brown. Remove from the oven and let cool for 8 minutes. After 8 minutes, move the cookies onto cooling racks and cool completely. Enjoy!